The Ugly within Nature
by kaibasgirlx
Summary: This was done for a friend of mine, R&R.


_A/N: this is my first Naruto fanfic, so go easy on me. It's a oneshot, featuring SaixSakura. This was done for arriku-chan ( arriku dot deviantart dot com ) I don't necessarily like this pairing (to be honest, I hate Sai), but she has such prettiful art of the two of them together, that the idea popped into my head, and darn it, I couldn't get it out._

_So please enjoy, and make my day by leaving nice reviews, k?_

**The Ugly within Nature**

_"Let me make it clear for you…If I am able to accomplish my goals through nothing more than offering Orochimaru this body of mine…Then he can have my life, and my after life for that matter…"_

The words echoed in her mind as she sat on her bed, gazing at the old photo in her hands.

_"Revenge means everything to me…"_

A tear slid down her cheek.

_"…I could care less what happens to me, or the whole world for that matter."_

It fell onto the glass with a _ping_.

_"Let me make it clear for you…"_

A second landed next to the first.

_"He can have my life…"_

A third…

_"…And my after life for that matter."_

She buried her face in her knees, squeezing her eyes shut tight, trying to contain the sobs that threatened to escape her throat.

It had been weeks since she'd heard those words, yet it was like the time never passed. They still stung as though they'd just been spoken. After two and a half years, had it really come to this? Would Sasuke really, _willingly_ give Orochimaru his own body, just for power?

Part of her was in denial, refusing to believe the Uchiha would do such a thing, but her more sensible side knew better. The look in his eyes as he had said those words convinced her far beyond any doubt.

_I have to do something,_ she thought, wiping away the tears. _I promised to protect them both; I can't let it end here. But how? Neither me, nor Naruto have enough strength, from the way things looked last time, we've had a narrow escape._

_"Konoha indeed. I'm through with you…Now things end."_

_"Now, now, there's no need to use that jutsu, Sasuke-kun."_

_"Remove your hand."_

_"There you go again, forgetting exactly who it is you're talking to."_

_"I have no reason to stop."_

_"You know quite well what Akatsuki is up to…We want our guests from Konoha to take care of as many of them as possible…Even just one would be fine…If the other Akatsuki members get in your way, your plans for revenge could hit a snag, right?"_

_"That's quite the pathetic excuse."_

_"But surely you'd allow it, if it meant increasing the chances of your revenge succeeding by even one percent, right?"_

Her eyes narrowed. Revenge. That's what it all boiled down too. The reason Sasuke was with Orochimaru was because he wanted kill his brother. Itachi was the one to blame; he was the person responsible.

She thought back to her fight with Sasori; she had nearly died in that battle. Wincing slightly, she remembered the feel of the katana being driven through her side. Akatsuki was a powerful organization; had it not been for Chiyo, she would have been dead long before the battle even started. It was thanks to the old lady's knowledge of her grandson's puppets, and her powers, that they were able to take him down.

Glancing around the room, she quietly slid off her bed and opened the door. Stepping into the fresh night air, she allowed the cool breeze to dry her tears more effectively then she had, as she took a walk around her beloved village.

They would get Sasuke back, she vowed silently, her footsteps crunching the gravelly path. No matter what happened, one way or another, the next time they'd meet, they weren't leaving without him.

For now though, she just needed to clear her head a little, relax a bit.

She strolled around for nearly an hour, visiting familiar sights; the academy where they first began their training, the various places where they completed different missions in their genin days, the forest where Kakashi had given them his bell test…she let the memories fill her, reminding her that there had been happy times, and dark times, and just like back then, there will be happier times again.

"Stop!" A voice spoke suddenly.

Sakura froze in her place; who on earth was up _this_ late at night?

There was a rustling, like paper; it was coming from somewhere in a nearby tree. A squirrel perhaps? She brushed the silly thought aside. The voice sounded familiar, but she would need to hear it again to place it. One thing she was certain though, it wasn't an enemy.

"Ah, it's finished!" The voice had a note of triumph, and it was then Sakura recognized it.

"Sai?" She asked, as the said person jumped down from the shadows of a tree, a scroll held in his hand.

"Ohaiyo, Sakura," he greeted, smiling.

In the faint light coming from the morning sun, she couldn't tell if it was his fake smile, or his genuine one. She preferred to think it was his genuine one.

"Are you the one who asked me to stop?"

The teen nodded his head.

"Oh…" there was a pause for a moment as she looked around, her eyes resting on the scroll in his hand. "Can I move now?"

Sai looked over at her, an eyebrow raised. "Of course you can move Sakura, don't tell me you didn't realize that?"

The said girl clenched her fist on impulse, doing her best to keep it from connecting with anything solid. Sai was anything if not patronizing at some times. Really, was it too much to ask that he cut her some slack? But no, he was just standing there with his trademark smile, looking as innocent as though he'd done no wrong. She sighed; he was too hard to stay mad at.

"So why did you ask me to stop?" She asked, letting her fist drop to her side. "And why are you even up at this hour?"

"I was in middle of painting the sunrise, until you came and blocked the way," he answered. "But then I saw your pose and I got inspired, so I had to draw you in my picture."

Sakura blushed lightly, as her perspective of him began to rearrange itself in her mind. "Really?" She asked eagerly. "Can I see?"

"Sure." He held out the scroll to her, still smiling.

Unraveling it, she saw herself poised against a marvelous sun slowly rising above the mountains, a look of refreshment and pleasure on her face.

"Wow…" she said, feeling awed. "Did you give this one a title?"

"I had one in mind, actually," he answered.

"What?" She asked.

He paused for a moment before answering. "The Ugly within Nature."

Sakura was still too enthralled with the painting to fully register what he'd just said. "Really, that sounds like a great title! The Ugly within-"

She stopped as soon as she realized what she was saying. Her eyes narrowed as her fist clenched once more, beginning to gather chakra into it. The killing aura surrounding her would have caused even ANBU members to flee.

Then suddenly, she stopped, her hand halfway raised, and let it fall limply to her side again, sighing loudly.

"Why'd you stop?" Sai asked curiously, his dark eyes slightly narrowed. He remembered all-too-well the last time she'd done something similar to this, and back then he'd fallen for it. "Weren't you about to hit me?"

"Yeah, I was," Sakura answered, her bangs shadowing her eyes as she looked towards the horizon.

The boy took a precautionary step backwards. She was planning something, he was certain of it. She definitely had that fake smile on her face. "So why didn't you?"

She glanced at him, a little bit surprised to hear him asking her that. Wasn't he just glad she hadn't decided to kill him on the spot for insulting her looks? Maybe he really _did_ want to get hit; he definitely deserved it, but no. The look on his face was one of simple curiosity, like that of a small child who wonders why the sky is blue, or why flowers die in the winter but grow back again in the spring.

She closed her eyes, a true smile gracing her lips. Opening them, she walked forward and gave him back the scroll.

_"You're still quite the kid, Naruto…"_

"Because…"

_"For both me and Orochimaru, killing Itachi would be impossible…"_

"It would be better use of my time to say thank you…"

_"But if I am able to accomplish my goals through nothing more then offering Orochimaru this body of mine…"_

"Though it's a lousy title you thought up. Next time, think up a better one."

_"Then he can have my life, and my after life for that matter."_

She wasn't sure what possessed her to do it right then and there, but before she realized what was happening, she bent down, and kissed him gently on the cheek before turning around and walking away.

The sun began to rise fully, as a chilly morning mist settled over the village of Konoha. Sakura shivered slightly, rubbing her arms, glad Sai couldn't see her face, for her cheeks were turning a fantastic shade of red. Why had she kissed him? She wasn't quite sure. Perhaps it was the way he had looked at her, his large dark eyes reminding her so much of Sasuke's. Then again, it could have been the innocent way he'd smiled at her, which made her anger somehow melt.

She suspected though, it had more to do with the fact that she was starting to accept his rude and blunt comments as a part of who he is. Sure, they were annoying, frustrating to the point of wanting to break every bone in his body, but he was a true friend, someone…she could rely on when she needed to.

Somewhere, deep in her heart, she felt a small flutter of happiness. Maybe, just maybe, those good times would come sooner then she expected.

And Sai simply stood where he was, rooted to the spot, a fine blush coloring his cheeks. Somehow, the world had just turned upside down, and he, Sai, was caught at the midpoint of it all. He struggled to absorb this new piece of information he had just discovered.

_It would appear that with some women, like Sakura, on the occasion when you insult them, they will respond to you with affection, rather then anger… How confusing._

He glanced up, seeing the sky getting lighter and lighter. He turned, and started heading towards Konoha's library.

His painting could wait. First he needed to find a book, any book, which had some information about the way a woman's mind worked.

**_Fin_**

Naruto characters ©Masashi Kishimoto

Story and plotline ©Téa2006

Inspiration ©Arriku2006


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